In this tutorial, I show how to record and loop simple acoustic guitar parts with Caustic's PCM Synth. The process works for any type of instrument/vocals/whatever that you want to include alongside your Caustic synth and drum tracks.

It's not like recording audio in a multi-track DAW. Your don't record into a timeline, you simply record parts "live" as you play along to your Caustic project. You then edit the audio - and loop it if you want to - with PCM Synth and assign each recording to it's own key on the keyboard.

This method works best for recording short phrases and loops - not long recordings for the duration of the song. But since you're using Caustic in the first place, there's a good chance that this fits your production style anyway. There's a lot you can do with it.

In Part 1 of this tutorial, I show how to record into PCM Synth, using 3 simple acoustic guitar parts that I'm playing live. I then show how to edit and loop the 3 parts and assign each to its own key. The final loops play in sync with each other and to the Beatbox track.

In Part 2, I show how to use the 3 loops as separate tracks, and how to use PCM Synth's Filter and LFO to process the loops and create some rhythmic tempo-synced effects

In Part 3, I show how to process the 3 loops even further and create some interesting rhythmic variations using PCMSynth Patterns.

In Part 4, I show how to use Modular Synth's Filter, LFO, Envelope and Arpeggiator to process tracks even further.

Wow, very cool, good work. Yes, the time ruler in 3.2 (which you'll be able to snap to beats) will definitely help create loops like this.

I wish there was a way to link other peoples' videos in your channel on YouTube so that this would show up when people click "view tutorials" from the app. This is the kind of stuff that I think interests a lot of people (certainly by the number of requests on how to do stuff like this)

I'll promote this to the front page, you can always add more parts to the main forum post and they should reflect there too.

Ha! Sure Rej, I'm glad to. Thanks for promoting it, that's really nice. Caustic is such an incredible app. I'm sure everyone on this forum is grateful for all the time and effort that you put into developing it and responding to users' feedback. Can't wait to see the next update!

Nice work... I have been seeing more and more audio "tracks" and recordings into Caustic for a hybrid of electronic and acoustic working together, much like MadFishGuy's Rock X-Eperiment collabs, doing the same kind of thing.

Nice tutorial Joe! Thanks for taking the time to put it together, I'm sure it will help a lot of people.

Just my opinion but I felt the middle rhythm guitar part wasn't as successful as the other two parts. It doesn't cut through very well and I think this is mainly due to the fact that you didn't play it very strongly when you recorded it. Maybe it was late and you didn't want to disturb your neighbours...?

One other thing you could try is splitting some phrases into even shorter samples so that you can vary the rhythm or melody slightly or simply assign different chords to different keys. This would work something like REX files do in Reason.

Thanks Pablo. I know what you mean about the middle rhythm guitar part (I can't blame my neighbors - I'll take full responsibility for the lack of coolness. LOL.) I should've done something funkier with the Filter/LFO settings and mixed it a little louder. I actually did a mix with these same 3 loops, using a MOD Synth to process each track. The MOD Synth's arpeggiator/filters really tightened up that middle guitar part and made it sound more like an arpeggiated synth. I'll probably work that into Part 4 of this tutorial.

I like your idea about splitting up parts into shorter phrases and putting them on different keys. I've tried it with chords before, but not with phrases. I'll give it a try.

Although I know much of this, still got some great tips from these vids. Great tutorials jfMIDI - I look forward to the other parts. I think these kind of videos, where something is created are really helpful and would be great if there was a set of these for each machine e.g. modular.

I don't mean two jump the gun...... but!!!!! The A. D.S.R. of the fliter. Why was these knobs not consider? I'm asking cause i often don't know what i'm looking for in my sound and the experimentin' i only do with not something i really injoy creating. I often feel i'm gonna mess something uo. Sooooo after 50 or 100 saves later, i forgot what all was or could have been used.

after the 1st video u inspired sum voice samples out of me. And i reconsider the volca, the caustic volca.

sooo i actually have slowed way down in thought about sampling now.

Kinda lost in my imagination over how it all can work.... now??? If u used the vocoder........ i can't imagine what type of sound u would get. If u, or someone could explain or give a variation video of the same.

Well, you don't need to use all the buttons and all the machines, just start with your melodies, watch all the tutorials again, experiment, I you find something interesting, save the song with a name that recall you this thing, so you can come back later if you need this for another song, and so on...

I enjoy watching tutorials, I always find some tricks and motivation, but you need to try and experiment by yourself, it's the best way to understand things and be a master

derrtibu - Rej's tutorial vids explain what each of the knobs of things like the ADSR filter does. Get the basic understanding from then, but like pquenin said just start experiment by turning them as your track plays to see what they do to your sound. Even if I don't fully understand exactly what each control does on a machine, I'll just tweak it and then try it in combination with other knobs. Experiment bro' - you won't really break it!

Derrti, Huh? posted in wrong thread again my friend? Pace yourself sir, these concepts will come to you, and when you understand it, your projects will move forward much faster for you and less frustratingly.

The ADSR is a tool to modulate a sound over time. Most often there is an ADSR for the volume and one for the filter. The Filter ADSR in the PCM Synth control the cutoff frequency of the filter over time. The Rej's Subsynth tutorial explain this in details...

Dat's my whole point!!! I'm not askin' about subsynth but the pcm in samplin' loops!!! Come on!!! Is it not the same two the extent of the modular. ... the sampling a sound or machine input a machine. It's the same!!

@ billdough dat's what i kept thinkin'!!!! as win u loadin' most machines have this!!! But win using the filter's on pcm. I was of mind it may give something off / extra ideas or changes two the sound.

At first win pquenin mention subsynth i thought this was jumpin' off thread too. But in actuality, no it's not!!!

Cause this post with the video post shows and helps with how two get a certain sound right?? And for us who may not know.... we are kinda clueless and at times our frustration(s) is not gonna keep us intune two experiment. But be afraid if how in how two move forward with no clear direction as two where were going. No map!! Dat's what a video does.

Having videos gives a visual of what the heck the left brain is doing by being so technical. It's great for starter kits two have a few videos but..... half of all users get really technical about their production can't visualize it dat way.

it put the guessing of what's gonna happen and let go of the supense of not knowing and learn what don't know.

cause if i had not mention this in this thread i would not seen the collation of subsynth, pcmsynth, modsynth, fmsynth, padsynth using A.S.D.R. but i guess if u wanted the organ, bassline, keysynth, vocoder, 8bitsynth ((( which 8 bitsynth i watched tutorials they explain well. Just don't get this machine at all. ))) two have this effect of A.S.D.R. just what??? Pick and choose from the modsynth or pcm???

The ADSR on the filter has the same function regardless of the synth you use. That's why I mention the Subsynth tutorial because it's where Rej explain this function. if you go to the PCM tutorial, Rej say that he won't explain this because he has already covered this in the Subsynth tutorial. Now there are some synths that don't have a filter because they rely on a synthesis technic where a filter is not needed.

JFMIDI explains in one of the videos why he didn't bother using the PCM's envelope or ADSR. Even if the guitar samples he recorded actually had multiple notes, Caustic doesn't read them that way--it only notices the keyboard notes put into the pattern editor. So because Caustic is reading each sample as one "note," the PCM's volume and filter envelopes affect the entire sample, rather than each individual note. So if you add a slower attack, you'll only hear the effect at the beginning of the entire recorded guitar part, instead of the violin-like effect you might be looking for on each note. Likewise, Release only affects the end of the sample, and Decay and Sustain would only be heard somewhere in the middle of the sample. So you totally could mess around with those controls if you really want to, but you wouldn't be likely to get the effect you're probably going for because it won't work the same way it usually does. I hope that clears things up.

He did? Ok dat's why videos is better for me i miss something and someone points in the right direction it's not mi not watchin' far from it!!! We all notice and catch sum'-thangs if we all caught all at once. The race of human beings with egos would be more a mess than what it is.thanks again u guys for your ya help!! Bigg upz!!

It kinda does clear up alot with cpusage issues. Caustic success is rooted; "in no functionality in sound per-sound per note for note. But by per-sample."

This clears alot of my own ideas of what i would normally do. As i would create something from nothing in caustic. **((( which i still can and do quite alot it seems more than i was originally intended. )))

But if i want total success of where caustic is now. I best set-up everything outside of caustic and work caustic as a middle mobile ground front.

Most of my ideas i really don't know enuff about until dat moment of long thinkin' of uncomplete work.

No disrespect two anyone who has posted tutorial videos of how two work caustic thru the modular or the pcm!!! None!!!!

But hott-dammmmmm!!!!! i mean, yes the tutorials of caustic are very informative. For beginner dat wants two know what is what on the basics. But those tutorials don't really animate or give an over-all view of in the moment of a pre-production in the works. My apologies for it sounding like disrespect but......

i knew there was hardware before causti of variable state filters. But had no idea there use. As i thought it was something with compression.

And two extent...... i don't quite understand the change other than putting more control in the note changes in the as givin' the modular a isolated sound.

But could u go back add the state varible filter after u give the modular it's note value like the fx chain can u do this as well??

Caustic Song file (optional):

Nice work Ian. By using the 3-input mixer, the user can hear what each type of filtering sounds like, by raising the level of each input separately. I think that'll help clarify things for a lot of users.

I really could've used any of the filter modules in my demo - I've just gotten in the habit of using the State Variable filter because I like its flexibility. I didn't mean for that to seem like a crucial part of the demo, but I guess I could've given a quick explanation of why I selected State Variable over the other types of filters.

Sooo compare two the other filters in the modular they don't have enuff dynamics is what i find u sayin' without sayin' is this true???? Or am i missing something???

Cause the stufff of the filters i'm interested in but if it brightens the sound gives the sound a more balanced approach kinda enhances what already is in 3.1. Of caustic then more tutorials like this needs two be widely done sooo the devloper sea's how with the updates for 3.2. May and may not be needed as much.

between there's a extreme xxxx large hand full of individuals dat show how two enhance a master quality sound out of caustic. Now..... i'm of serious concern two figure a way two re-configure my own ideas dat it didn't have a enuff uppth for my taste, in the trks of my composition(s) over doing drum trks dat i find of value cause of ghost notes. But.....really don't need ghost notes cause sooo much will be caught in the layers anyway.

Sooo kinda what i'm sayin' too much of mr. Rej don't need two add much two mastering i guess if maybe give it more a collected feel of dedication. Cause now, two master. I would have only used the effects. Cause not fully grasp how the modular works. And now, i do. Thank you. I gotta alot of homework.

The cutoff: when it s all the way up let s all the sounds pass thru it but when you turn it down it cuts off the freq s...

It's kind of labeled backwards, high pass let s high sounds come thru but cuts low sounds, low pass let's low sounds thru and cuts high sounds. Band pass is more mid range. So you use the cutoff to decide how much of what sound you want to cut out or filter out. Brita style.

The resonance is harder to explain, it sort of high lights frequencies and boosts their volume for a short time and it is related to the position of the cutoff. But you can just think of it as the cool sound knob, turn it and hear what happens.

Jfmidi: Thanks for these videos. First time back on this page and using Caustic again after several months hiatus. Glad to hear Jason and Ian are still doing their thing and dirrigidoo ( whatever he calls himself) is doing his. Lotta fun!

Thanks richlum! I'm glad my tutorials helped you. I've used your method in different situations too - exporting a Caustic mixdown and then importing it into an app that's more geared toward audio recording. But the amount of recording time in Caustic's Sample Editor is usually more than enough to record vocal phrases, guitar riffs, etc. And I still think Caustic's Loop Editor is one of the best I've ever used.

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